


Strawberry Bronze

by AwkwardMandork



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Agatha and simon go shopping, Baz is neil but is in denial about it and thinks hes andrew, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Post-Watford (Simon Snow), Simon Snow's Wings and Tail, Simon snow is andrew minyard but softer, Strawberry Dress, They Talk About Consent, They buy baz the strawberry suit, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch Is Gay for Simon Snow, but also read the tags, but we all know the truth, its really cute dont be scared of the tags, strawberry dress and strawberry suit, strawberry suit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:00:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25976332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardMandork/pseuds/AwkwardMandork
Summary: Simon Snow and Agatha go shopping because Agatha thinks a strawberry suit would look stunning on Baz, and he and SImon could match!!! Except... There was only one suit. So he gets the dress instead. Cue Baz's gay panic because "You're... You're wearing a dress." Simon decides to wear the strawberry dress to a "special ocassion," which turns out to be a trip to the beach. Baz and Simon end up having a deep convo about Simon's past, and what that means for his future with Baz. They talk about consent Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten style.
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	Strawberry Bronze

**Author's Note:**

> Read the tags and the summary y'all

Simon had gone over to Agatha's place for a visit when she decided (without even asking Simon,) that they were going shopping.

"I'm not going."

Agatha put her hands in her hips and frowned. "It wasn't really a question." She had been working on her Southern California accent, which meant she had started saying "Dude" and "Bro" excessively. Simon copied her to poke fun.

"I'm not going, Aggie."

"Wouldn't it be funny if Baz found out how his books went missing and he had to buy all new ones in third year?"

"You wouldn't dare-"

"Wanna find out, dude?"

Simon cringed and shook his head. "Fine. But I'm not going to like it."

Agatha grinned, and shepherded Simon into the car. "There's this giant shopping center called Santa Monica Place. It's by the 3rd Street Promenade, which you are also going to. Do you have cash?"

"Um, a few dollars." He pulled out some $1 bills from his wallet. "Isn't it strange that Americans have a $1 coin and a $1 bill?"

"It is strange, but I don't see the coins very often." She drove down the road and merged onto the freeway to carry her downtown, then took an exit and headed off towards a giant parking structure. Once they got there, they parked and went directly from the structure to the mall attached to it. 

Simon was in awe at the sheer amount of stores in the outdoor mall, and was quickly overwhelmed with the noise and lights and people. He suddenly felt very small in a place too big for him, and fidgeted with his tail in his hands. His wings were already cramping from being crammed in the car, and the fact that there were so many people to bump into didn't help his anxiety. Agatha took his hand and squeezed it. "Hey, if you're not up for this-"

"No, no, I'm just.." he trailed off and looked around, his eyes wide. "It's just a lot. I need a minute." He closed his eyes and tried to focus on grounding himself. After a minute of breathing and steadying himself, he was ready to go. Still, his brain nagged at him for being able to face countless monsters in battle, fight to the death, go to a vampire bar, storm vampire-infested Las Vegas, and kiss his enemy out of his suicidal funk, but he couldn't handle a few too many stores that were a little too big and a little too cramped with people and a little too much noise and a little too many scents and lights that were a little too bright. He sighed, and let Agatha lead him wherever she pleased.

She gently led him to a store on the second floor called Daisy's Debacle. It had a few mannequins dressed up in 50's style dresses with things like lemons or polka dots, or strawberries. Simon looked to Agatha, a little confused.

"I thought your style was more… Skater Girl rides a motorbike. Not this." He gestured around them. 

Agatha shook her head and pulled him to a pair of mannequins wearing a strawberry suit and a strawberry dress. "No, you don't understand. I saw this suit, and it made me think of-" 

"Baz." Simon smiled. After seeing his floral suit, he could definitely imagine his boyfriend in the suit. A lady with a name tag that read "Daisy" on it came up to them.

"Welcome to Daisy's Debacle! Are you two looking for a couple's outfit?"

Agatha turned and beamed at Daisy, immediately going to hug her. 

"Daisy! This is my friend, Simon. Simon, this is Daisy. And actually, we're here because this suit is perfect for his boyfriend. Simon, what size is Baz?"

Simon frowned and looped his arms in front of himself. "Um.. like this? And kind of tall. Thinner than me, and he's a few inches taller than me. All hard angles."

Daisy smiled and nodded understandingly, but her brows drew together, giving away her confusion. "Okay then... Let me see what I can do. Do you mind if I measure you, honey?"

Simon shook his head, and chewed on his lip. "No, but can I do it myself? Or have Ags help me?"

"Sure thing, sugar. Agatha is my star employee. She can get you fitted." She led them to a fitting room, with the two outfits draped over her arm. She handed them over to Agatha. She took them and had Simon stand in for Baz, and then, once the suit was too small, they transferred it to a mannequin that was about Baz's shape and height. Simon tested it by giving it a hug, and confirming that it was just like Baz, except Baz had a wider chest. Agatha pinned and sewed the suit, and bought it for Simon with her discount. "There! Now one for you, so you can match!"

Daisy interrupted. "Actually, dear, we only have the one suit… will the dress be okay?"

Simon frowned in thought. "Wait, doesn't that mean…"

"You would wear the dress," Daisy confirmed. "Is that alright?"

Simon blushed at the thought. "Well, nothing wrong with trying it, I suppose." He had tried on skirts and such before with Penny, for fun. They would dress up as each other and do their best imitation of the other during sleepovers while Baz studied. 

Daisy beamed. "Then get back there and get back to work, girlie!" She hip bumped Agatha and she laughed, pulling Simon away. An hour later, Simon had his own fitted dress to match his boyfriend's fitted suit. He wore it out, because it had a V-neck and a sweetheart back, and a flowy tulle skirt, which left room for his wings and tail to breathe. Agatha insisted that he get a matching pair of shoes (Little white mary janes,) and that they go get their legs waxed. 

The waxing was the worst part. It hurt! His legs felt smooth afterwards, though. Simon looked at himself in the mirror once they got back to Agatha's place and grinned.

"Do you think he'll like it?"

“Of course he will, Simon!” Agatha beamed, and called for Baz before Simon could stop her. Within the minute, he was at the door, looking for them. “Simon-” He stopped, making Simon turn to see Baz, who was very obviously trying not to look Simon up and down. He wore the strawberry suit that they had fitted for him, and it fit him perfectly. The bottoms were perfect around his legs, and they held his ass perfectly. Simon was very pointedly trying not to look, but it was getting increasingly harder by the second. 

And that wasn’t the only thing that was getting harder.

Simon cleared his throat and shuffled. He had grown so accustomed to fidgeting with his tail when he was nervous that now that it was inaccessible under the skirt, he felt very awkward and exposed. Baz took his hands and kissed his knuckles.

"Simon, you’re… You’re wearing a _dress_."

“Yeah. And you’re wearing half the countryside.” Simon cracked a smile at remembering when he said a phrase very similar to that one just last Christmas.

Baz sighed, whether in admiration or annoyance, Simon wasn’t sure until he saw the fond smile on his lips. “You’re stunning, love.”

"You're sure? I feel weird in a dress."

"Are you alright with it?"

Simon shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

Baz smiled and pulled Simon close by the waist. He kissed his nose, then when Simon looked up, his lips. The tension immediately melted from Simon's shoulders and he held on to Baz to keep himself steady. 

"Want to take a drive?"

Simon smiled. "Sure. Okay." He squeezed Baz's hand and let Baz lead him out to their car, and got in. Baz, ever the gentleman, made sure his dress was tucked into the car before he closed the door for him. Baz tucked his hair into his mother's scarf, and after making sure Simon was buckled up, drove until the road winded through the mountains, then into the desert. They turned around after getting to a town called Hesperia, because it all seemed to be desert from there on out, and they had seen enough American deserts to know that there was nothing good for them there.

By the time they had returned to LA, it was dark out. Traffic was thick going the other way; They were glad they were going to LA instead of coming back. Simon and Baz walked hand in hand into Agatha’s small apartment and were met with the thick scent of smoke. Agatha was fanning the smoke alarm with a cutting board, Penny was casting “Make a wish!” at the stove over and over, and Shephard was trying to get a fire extinguisher to work. Baz considered turning around and leaving, but Simon stopped him by going to Shephard’s side and helping him figure out the instructions. Once the fire was out, the smoke slowly started to clear, and Penny was able to fan the smoke alarm while Agatha called in for a pizza. After their pizza got there, the group sat on the sofa in Agatha’s too-small and too-expensive living room and watched a movie on Netflix. Simon smoothed his dress over his legs and lay his head on Baz’s chest. Shepard and Penny sat a few inches apart beside them, and Agatha sat on the floor with her leg propped up while she snacked on microwave popcorn. One by one, they went to their separate rooms. Agatha and Penny shared a room by putting an air mattress on the floor. The boys got the living room. Shepard was sleeping in the armchair, so Simon and Baz pulled out the futon and got comfortable. They had changed into their pajamas, and Baz lay pushed up against Simon’s chest while his fingers smoothed down Baz’s hair and twitled the ends around his fingers. Simon buried his nose in his scalp. 

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” He turned around, and gave Simon a small smile. “Did you enjoy wearing that dress earlier, love?”

He shrugged. “I liked it, yeah. I would wear it again. Maybe for a special occasion, though.”

Baz smirked. “I can think of a few good special occasions.”

“When?”

Baz deadpanned and turned back over. “Nevermind.”

“No, what is it? When?” He sat up so he could look down at Baz.

Baz looked up to him and cupped his cheek. “You are as clueless as the day I fell in love with you is all.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Of course it is.” He pulled him down for a kiss and they stayed like that for what felt like hours, just tasting each other, feeling each other, and loving each other.

**Epilogue**

The next time Simon wore that dress was a special occasion. They had one more day before their flight back to England, and they were spending every second of it soaking up the impossibly bright summer sun. Well, everyone except Baz. He lay under an umbrella. Simon wore his dress, and lay in the hot sand next to him in the sun. He could feel the sunburn forming, but he was too busy basking in the warmth to care. He could feel eyes on him, so he looked up at Baz. Sure enough, he was looking him up and down again. 

“Pervert.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Baz looked back at his novel, but his eyes focused above the pages at the blue expanse of ocean ahead. Simon smiled and sat up beside his chair in the shade. He rest his head on the arm of the folding chair, and Baz sighed. 

“Clingy much?” He stroked his hair, and Simon laughed lightly. 

“You love it.”

“For some reason.” He smiled. 

Simon closed his eyes and smiled. “Want to go for a swim with me?”

“Ah, well… I suppose…” Baz looked up at the umbrella.

“Get down here and I’ll rub you down with some sunscreen?”

That’s how he got Baz down from his seat and onto the warm sand. Simon massaged SPF 110+ into his boyfriend’s back, and listened to him sigh and groan at every crack and pop his joints gave. It was a little more erotic than Simon had cared to admit, but he had learned that one of the amazing things about a dress was how much they could hide. Baz clearly didn’t notice, but it was surely only a matter of time. Baz lay there for a few minutes while he rested. 

“Bloody hell, you’re good at that.”

“Yeah, and you’re a prick.” Simon climbed off his back from where he was straddling him, and Baz turned so he could get his front. Simon swallowed, and straddled his middle again. He poured some sunscreen in his hand and massaged it into his chest without looking into Baz’s eyes. 

Baz rose an infuriatingly perfect eyebrow, and Simon swallowed again. 

“You already got that spot, darling.”

Simon moved his hands down to his stomach, and straddled his thighs. He tried not to look, tried not to see, tried not to notice every curve of his torso and every hair sinking down below the waistline of his swimming shorts, following the deep crevice of his--

“Ahem. My eyes are up here, Simon.”

Simon got off of him and focused on a spot far out to sea, where he could just barely see a sailboat. 

Baz sat up and rubbed his shoulders. “Love.”

Simon didn’t look at him. 

“Simon.”

He found a particularly bright towel to look at under a lifeguard tower. 

“Baby.”

Simon sighed. “What?” 

Baz took his hand and laced their fingers together. “Something’s bothering you.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You weren’t talking to me.”

“I don’t have to talk to you.”

Baz frowned, and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles. Just waiting patiently, not pushing him. 

“I’m sorry,” Simon said after a minute. “I just… Couldn’t stop looking, and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable, love.”

“But how was I supposed to know that?”

Baz rubbed the back of his hand. “Love, I don’t know what happened to you in your care homes, but I can promise you that you’re safe here with me. You’ll tell me when you’re uncomfortable with something, yes?”

“Well.. I don’t want you to leave…”

His words hit Baz in the chest like a brick. “Simon, I would never leave you over you feeling uncomfortable with something we were doing! We can stop and we can talk about this. We can talk.” Baz lifted Simon’s hand to his cheek and kissed his palm. “We can always stop. You’re allowed to say no. Always. I want you to tell me when you feel uncomfortable.”

Simon chewed his lip, clearly thinking. For a few moments, he was silent. “Do you promise?”

 _“Cross my heart and hope to die,”_ He said, magic binding them. Simon sighed, and tucked himself into Baz’s side. Baz opened his arms for him, and kissed his head while Simon let his tears spill gently onto his chest. Eventually, he stopped crying, and he stayed tucked close into his side just to feel his cool chest against his own too-warm body. 

They went for a swim, and let the cold sea water flow and ebb while they floated. Not long after, Baz started to turn a violent shade of red, and they had to go back in. Simon pulled a towel around himself, and watched Baz squeeze the water out of his hair with an old shirt. He truly was something magical. 

Baz smiled down at him, and reached down to cup his cheek, but stopped a few inches away. “Yes or no?”

“Jesus, Niel Josten.”

“I’m definitely more Andrew Minyard.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes.” He pressed his face into his palm, and Baz pulled him close for a kiss, pausing just before he kissed him. 

“Yes or-”

“Yes. It’s always yes with you.”

“Except when it’s no.”

Simon shook his head. “I’ll tell you when it’s no. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

Baz smiled and kissed him softly, and then rest back with him on the hot sand, happy with their promises to each other. 


End file.
